Medical Weight Loss Tips: Why does Sugar Make you Gain Weight?

In our society there are a few things that are an absolute given when it comes to food. For example, in America you’re practically always going to find a pickle on your plate when you eat at a restaurant – that’s a tradition that is never going to go away. The other tradition is sugar, and it seems to be in absolutely everything.

Only in America can you order sweet tea and find it completely inundated with a bag of sugar, seriously, the rest of the world looks at us like we’re insane. So here’s the big question, are you ready? Why is sugar responsible for obesity and why does it make you gain weight?

In medical weight loss, sugar is a pretty big concern and we’re going to address a few of the reasons that it contributes to your weight gain. You might not be interested in cutting sugar out of your diet entirely, but at the end fo this article you might be considering moderation.

An Overview of Sugar – Essential Medical Weight Loss Knowledge

To start, sugar and high fructose corn syrup are comprised to two molecules: Glucose and Fructose. Let’s take a quick look at those two in slightly more detail:

Glucose – Admittedly, it’s vital to life and is an important part of metabolism. You will find this in your bloodstream as it is produced by the body, and each cell in our body draws upon it for energy. You can choose to eat this as part of your diet, or you can rely upon your body to create it for you.

Fructose – Unlike glucose, this is not created naturally by the body and is not necessary for life. Believe it or not, even though you might crave it, there are only a few cells in the body that can actually make use of it. As we eat sugar, the majority of it is turned into fat by the liver, which is then flooded into the blood stream. You can already see where this is going.

Insulin Resistance and You

You’ve probably heard of insulin once or twice, but did you know that it’s actually a hormone? Actually, it’s one of the most important hormones in the human body as it regulates both metabolism and energy use. In an idea body, insulin will send a signal to the cells which transport glucose, ultimately allowing the cells to do their job.

Now, if we eat a high carb meal, glucose levels increase, and unfortunately higher levels of glucose within the body are actually toxic. That being the case, as glucose levels increase, insulin levels increase to combat it. The problem is that in healthy people, this system works perfectly, but it does tend to break down and cells can actually becomes resistant to the effects of insulin.

As more insulin enters your blood stream, energy is dropped into fat cells and the results are pretty obvious. By consuming excess fructose you are promoting insulin resistance within your body and you will therefore become overweight. Fortunately there is an easy fix for this which involves moderating the amount of sugar that you take into your body on a regular basis.

Any medical weight loss specialist will tell you that it’s not nearly as easy as it sounds. Sugar stimulates the reward center of the brain, making it highly addictive and very difficult to quit if you aren’t diligent. Fortunately at our medical weight loss center in Boca Raton we’re able to help you design a comprehensive plan that will get you eating healthy and even cutting down on the sugar.

Sometimes it just takes a bit of discipline and a plan that is specially formulated to your needs; let us help you out! Read over our website and give us a call today, we’ll get you on the right track to both weight loss, and of course a happier existence. It might seem impossible right now, but don’t worry, we’re going to get you there.